The U.S. Supreme Court case South Carolina v. Katzenbach in 1965 was a significant ruling that upheld the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which aimed to overcome legal barriers at state and local levels preventing African Americans from exercising their right to vote as guaranteed under the Fifteenth Amendment. The State of South Carolina challenged this act, arguing it exceeded Congress's powers by infringing on states' rights protected by Tenth Amendment and encroaching upon areas reserved for state control. However, the court ruled against South Carolina with an 8-1 decision stating that enforcement provisions within the Voting Rights Act were a valid exercise of Congress’s power under Section Two of Fifteenth Amendment (which gives Congress enforcement power). This landmark decision played a crucial role in advancing civil rights and voting equality across America.

In the dissenting opinion for South Carolina v. Katzenbach, Justice Black argued that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was an unconstitutional overreach by Congress into state affairs. He contended that while it is true that states have misused their power to regulate voting in ways which violate citizens' rights, this does not justify such a broad and sweeping federal intervention. According to him, the majority's decision effectively stripped states of their constitutionally protected right to control and regulate elections within their borders - a fundamental aspect of state sovereignty under our system of federalism. Furthermore, he expressed concern about potential abuses stemming from such extensive federal power over local elections.